Web Fed Award-winning Planets

Reviewed on January 18, 2004

Chasing spaceships just isn’t the same as chasing cars; wearing a vac suit and trying to maneuver by uselessly waving all four legs doesn’t quite give the same thrill. Once I found Grandstand was a planet devoted to automobiles I was anxious to check it out and give a few cars a run for their money!

At the link I listened in to the rules of the track – glad to hear that two wheels must remain in contact with the ground and within range of my snapping maw at all times. Nerfing (whatever that is, and I hope it doesn’t mean wetting down the tires) was strictly prohibited, and drivers had up to a week to appeal penalties. By the time a week had passed and the drivers noticed teeth marks on the bumpers I’d be long gone.

It took my ears a few minutes to adjust to the roar of engines that could be heard even on the landing pad of this planet. The thick smell of gasoline assaulted my senses, but underlying the heavy odor I could make out distant tantalizing promises of beer and junk food. As soon as I snacked down and found the moving cars I knew I’d be one happy pup!

I checked the areas around the landing pad, for the most part finding just the usual amenities. The Racer’s café held a little more than expected; the three-story building served as a restaurant as well as housing the Grandstand Hall of Fame and an extensive museum of motor sports. There were plenty of wheels for me to water as I viewed exhibits about various racecars of the 21st century. Just as my bladder had dried up and my eyes started to glaze over I stumbled on a particularly interesting exhibit about stock car racing.

By the time I toured the entire museum I was about ready to head home and find a snack to eat or a hole to dig, but then I noticed people carrying ice-chests and blankets, and in general looking like they were heading for a pleasant afternoon outing. I remembered that was the direction I’d smelled the beer and hot dogs earlier and figured it wouldn’t hurt to tag along behind and see if anyone dropped anything worth snagging. I joined the throng of people and tried my best to hide among legs when we came to an admissions area. Security was tight, but they were looking for people trying to get in for free and this canine slipped by their scrutiny.

The noises and smells got louder with each step and I found the crowd headed to the Watkins Glen Raceway. I dashed and weaved my way around the throngs, exploring the extensive track and spectator areas around the Raceway.

Up to this point I found the planet mildly interesting and pleasant but not especially thrilling, good for an afternoon’s lazy exploration. The script in places still needed a bit of tweaking, and the planet itself probably appealing to a limited audience. However, all that changed when I stumbled into the garage and found my very own racing gear waiting, a drivers meeting about to start, and the chance to actually drive the car instead of chasing it!

When you become the driver on Grandstand, you have to choose the path you’ll take around the track over and over. Even if you win the race, this is one place where the winning doesn’t hold a candle to experiencing all the ways you can lose the race! I found I dropped my reporter’s notepad and became engrossed in the race itself – with imagination and some very good scripting taking me through each turn and hazard of the track!

Congratulations, Racingnut – the next time you don your racing gear and find the Victory Lane there will be a Carpenter’s award at the end!